Center Point couple grateful to be alive after three trees hit house

CENTER POINT, Alabama -- Delois and Nathaniel Pasley had to leave their Center Point home, their 6-year-old dog Bo in tow, following today's tornado.

Three trees through the couple's three bedroom home of a month along 4th Place NE made that escape necessary. They were among about 15 storm survivors who had trickled into First Baptist Church of Center Point by this afternoon for hot soup and cornbread, coffee, other snacks and kind words from Red Cross and Birmingham Baptist Association volunteers.

Delois said she was awakened about 4 a.m. Monday by her husband's yells for her to get out of their bedroom.

"It was dark, but he said 'That's O.K., come with me!' I started toward the door, but it was so hard to see. I knew that our dresser was near the door so I hung on to it," she said sitting at a table with a cup of coffee.

"I made it to the door when something fell and hit me," Pasley said lifting one of her pant legs to reveal a reddish, purple wound. One of the three trees that hit their house crashed into the bedroom just as she got to the bedroom door, she said.

The couple had moved into the house in December and Nathaniel Pasley had just hired somone to paint the trim on their new home. "They were supposed to come today," Delois said.

The couple was trying to get in touch with Delois' brother, Otto Smith, who is in Kentucky on business.

"We want to ask him if he had room for us to stay with him," she said.

Stan and Brenda Digerness, the shelter's managers, said the church has enough room for about 100 people to stay. The building has shower and bathroom facilities for people who opt to stay on cots that were expected this afternoon.

The Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency said these shelters are open to those who need them: